This is really an interesting review. "Feelings" have gotten a bad rap in the intellectual perspectives of "Christian counseling", informed I think from the rationalism of Western thought, yet emotions drive a lot of the busses of modern Christian experience and spirituality (CCM, charismatic renewal, etc.). It seems modern Christianity has a love/hate relationship with emotions and rational thought and little critical thought about their relationship to our humanity.
Steve, have wanted to find an Orthodox reworking of the IFS system. Any insight into this and who might have written (hopefully positively) about this?
Hi Helen, I was a therapist about 50 years ago. Systems and approaches keep evolving and honestly, I'm not up on much that has happened since about the 1990's. A lot of the techniques/frameworks are pretty much riffs on older models with the names changed and a refinement of a particular aspect of a former "therapy". That said, I think "Orthodoxy" can be used in just about any approach with some wisdom and an understanding of the human person in Orthodox theology. In this day and age of dozens/hundreds of therapy modalities and theories you'd have to find an Orthodox person who specializes in one and has taken the time to re-frame its concepts/approaches within Orthodox theology. Most therapists are trained in multiple modalities/theories and as they "practice" I think they gravitate toward what they think makes sense to them and that they are comfortable with. You can find "Christian therapists" who think certain theories/modalities are Satanic and others who find aspects of the same thing to be helpful. Such are human beings about just about everything....
Hi Helen, I was a therapist about 50 years ago. Systems and approaches keep evolving and honestly, I'm not up on much that has happened since about the 1990's. A lot of the techniques/frameworks are pretty much riffs on older models with the names changed and a refinement of a particular aspect of a former "therapy". That said, I think "Orthodoxy" can be used in just about any approach with some wisdom and an understanding of the human person in Orthodox theology. In this day and age of dozens/hundreds of therapy modalities and theories you'd have to find an Orthodox person who specializes in one and has taken the time to re-frame its concepts/approaches within Orthodox theology. Most therapists are trained in multiple modalities/theories and as they "practice" I think they gravitate toward what they think makes sense to them and that they are comfortable with. You can find "Christian therapists" who think certain theories/modalities are Satanic and others who find aspects of the same thing to be helpful. Such are human beings about just about everything....
This is really an interesting review. "Feelings" have gotten a bad rap in the intellectual perspectives of "Christian counseling", informed I think from the rationalism of Western thought, yet emotions drive a lot of the busses of modern Christian experience and spirituality (CCM, charismatic renewal, etc.). It seems modern Christianity has a love/hate relationship with emotions and rational thought and little critical thought about their relationship to our humanity.
Steve, fascinating dichotomy. I think you’re exactly right about that.
Steve, have wanted to find an Orthodox reworking of the IFS system. Any insight into this and who might have written (hopefully positively) about this?
Hi Helen, I was a therapist about 50 years ago. Systems and approaches keep evolving and honestly, I'm not up on much that has happened since about the 1990's. A lot of the techniques/frameworks are pretty much riffs on older models with the names changed and a refinement of a particular aspect of a former "therapy". That said, I think "Orthodoxy" can be used in just about any approach with some wisdom and an understanding of the human person in Orthodox theology. In this day and age of dozens/hundreds of therapy modalities and theories you'd have to find an Orthodox person who specializes in one and has taken the time to re-frame its concepts/approaches within Orthodox theology. Most therapists are trained in multiple modalities/theories and as they "practice" I think they gravitate toward what they think makes sense to them and that they are comfortable with. You can find "Christian therapists" who think certain theories/modalities are Satanic and others who find aspects of the same thing to be helpful. Such are human beings about just about everything....
Hi Helen, I was a therapist about 50 years ago. Systems and approaches keep evolving and honestly, I'm not up on much that has happened since about the 1990's. A lot of the techniques/frameworks are pretty much riffs on older models with the names changed and a refinement of a particular aspect of a former "therapy". That said, I think "Orthodoxy" can be used in just about any approach with some wisdom and an understanding of the human person in Orthodox theology. In this day and age of dozens/hundreds of therapy modalities and theories you'd have to find an Orthodox person who specializes in one and has taken the time to re-frame its concepts/approaches within Orthodox theology. Most therapists are trained in multiple modalities/theories and as they "practice" I think they gravitate toward what they think makes sense to them and that they are comfortable with. You can find "Christian therapists" who think certain theories/modalities are Satanic and others who find aspects of the same thing to be helpful. Such are human beings about just about everything....
Being aware of how all this works could be a real superpower. I’m going to read this one for sure.
How would this interact with the emotional understanding system of Internal Family Systems (aka Parts Work)? They seem related...